Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
04-12-2001 IB0100159
40959 PCT CA 02399372 2002-08-06
PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD AND
CONNECTOR ZaSSEMBLY
The invention relates to a printed circuit board
and a printed circuit board zero force connector. ti
Countless embodiments of printed circuit board
assemblies of the aforementioned type have been known
for many years. Printed circuit board connectors are
used for connecting to printed circuit boards. In
particular, if a very large number of surface contacts
on the printed circuit board are to be contacted by
associated contact elements of the printed circuit board
connector, it is known to use so-called printed circuit
board zero force connectors. Printed circuit board zero
force connectors have likewise been known for many years
in countless embodiments and are described, for example,
in DE 195 11 509 Al, DE 197 25 123 Al, DE 197 25 132 Al
and DE 197 25 13$ 'A1.
US 5,160, 275 describes a printed circuit board and {
connector assembly, comprising a printed circuit board
with surface contacts arranged thereupon and a printed
circuit board connector having a receiving region
wherein the printed circuit board is inserted and a
plurality of contact elements displaceable away and
towards the receiving region for insertion or removal of
the printed circuit board or engagement of the surface
contacts. The printed circuit board is provided with an
attachment in the vicinity of that portion of the
printed circuit board to be inserted into the printed
circuit board connector, where the attachment and the
contacts are in direct cooperation during insertion and
removal to displace the contacts.
r
EmPfan;AMENDED SHEET
04-12-2001 ItwluuI5y
40959 PCT CA 02399372 2002-08-06
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Printed circuit board zero force connectors have
the particular feature that their contact elements are
arranged on one or more movable parts and can be moved
together with them. By moving the parts carrying the
contact element, the printed circuit board zero force
connector can be brought from an assembly position allowing an printed circuit
board to be plugged into, or
removed from a connecting position without the contacts
touching the printed circuit board (zero insertion
force). The parts carrying the contact elements may then
be moved by the actuation of an actuating mechanism, for
example a rod, which is mounted externally on the
printed circuit board zero force connector and/or on the
printed circuit board, so the connection is made. An
actuating mechanism of this type requires a relatively
large amount of space and also has to be* operated
following quite specific sequencing; otherwise, the
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printed circuit board and/or the printed circuit board
zero force connector can be damaged and/or a proper
connection is not achieved. This is a considerable
drawback of printed circuit board zero force connectors.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to
find an option by which printed circuit board zero force
connectors can be produced more compactly and easily and
can be operated more reliably.
This object is achieved by the use of a printed
circuit board having contact surfaces thereupon, an
attachment, and a printed circuit board zero force
connector. The assembly includes the printed circuit
board zero force connector that carries contact elements
arranged and configured in such a way that they are
moved by an attachment mounted on the printed circuit
board as the printed circuit board is plugged into the
printed circuit board zero force connector and/or as the
printed circuit board is removed from the printed
circuit board zero force connector.
Since the printed circuit board connector is
actuated by the attachment mounted on the printed
circuit board as the printed circuit board is plugged
into the printed circuit board connector, or as the
printed circuit board is removed from the printed
circuit board connector, there is no need to provide an
actuating mechanism for displacing the contacts relative
the surface contacts after insertion of the printed
circuit board or prior to removal of the printed circuit
board.
As the printed circuit board connector is actuated
by the attachment provided on the printed circuit board
it is advantagous that the attachment can be produced
independently and then placed on the printed circuit
board in such a way that neither the printed circuit
board nor the attachment risks being damaged by
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actuation of the printed circuit board connector. An
appropriate configuration and arrangement of the attachment
reliably prevents the printed circuit board from rubbing
against the printed circuit board connector (and the
contacts therein) when being inserted into or removed from
the printed circuit board connector. This possibility can
never be completely ruled out in conventional printed
circuit board connectors and when it occurs will sooner or
later damage and/or reduce the functioning of the printed
circuit board and/or of the printed circuit board connector.
As a result of the proposed innovations, printed
circuit board zero force connectors can be produced
compactly, easily, with less complenty, and can be operated
more reliably. Advantageous developments of the invention
can be inferred from the sub-claims, the following
description and the figures.
In one broad aspect, there is provided a printed
circuit board and connector assembly comprising: a printed
circuit board with surface contacts arranged thereupon, a
printed circuit board connector having a receiving region
for receiving a portion of the printed circuit board, a
plurality of contact elements displaceable away and towards
the receiving region for insertion or removal of the printed
circuit board or engagement of the surface contacts, the
printed circuit board having an attachment in a vicinity of
the portion of the printed circuit board that is to be
inserted into the printed circuit board connector, wherein
the attachment and the connector cooperate during insertion
and removal to displace the contacts, wherein a first
contact carrier carries the contact elements, the attachment
includes a biasing surface, the first contact carrier
includes a tab extending into the receiving region, and the
biasing surface and the tab cooperate to displace the
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contact elements during insertion of the printed circuit
board, the attachment further includes a lateral projection
and the first contact carrier includes an arm that
cooperates with the lateral projection to displace the
contact elements toward the receiving region during
insertion of the printed circuit board, and the attachment
includes one or more recesses for receiving the tab upon
full insertion of the printed circuit board into the
connector.
The invention will be described in more detail
hereinafter by embodiments with reference to the figures, in
which:
Figure 1 shows a printed circuit board with an
attachment that can be slipped thereupon and a printed
circuit board zero force connector for contacting the
printed circuit board;
Figure 2 shows the printed circuit board
positioned to be inserted into the printed circuit board
zero force connector;
Figure 3 shows initial insertion of the printed
circuit board into the printed circuit board connector;
Figure 4 shows further insertion of the printed
circuit board into the printed circuit board connector;
Figure 5 shows a front view of the fully inserted
printed circuit board;
Figure 6 shows a back view of the fully inserted
printed circuit board corresponding to figure 5;
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Figure 7 shows a modified configuration of the
printed circuit board zero force connector.
The printed circuit board described hereinafter is
a printed circuit board which is designed to be
connected via a printed circuit board zero force
connector to another printed circuit board or a
different component of the system containing the printed
circuit board. The printed circuit board is connected to
the printed circuit board zero force connector via
surface contacts provided on the printed circuit board.
The surface contacts are arranged in such a way that
they can be contacted by contact elements of a printed
circuit board zero force connector. The printed circuit
board zero force connector is normally mounted on
another printed circuit board (not shown in the figures)
to which it is desired that the currently considered
printed circuit board is to be connected.
For the sake of completeness, it is mentioned at
this point that only the components of the considered
printed circuit board and of the considered printed
circuit board zero force connector, which are of
particular interest here, are shown and described. The
components of the printed circuit board and of the
printed circuit board zero force connector which are not
shown do not have special features and do not require
further explanation.
The currently considered printed circuit board is
provided, in the region that includes the surface
contacts and comes to rest in the printed circuit board
connector, with an attachment. The attachment provides
that the printed circuit board connector can be brought
from an assembly position where the printed circuit
board can be plugged into or removed from a connecting
position.
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The currently considered printed circuit board zero
force connector has parts carrying the contact elements
that are arranged and configured in such a way that the
parts and associated contacts are moved by the
attachment mounted on the printed circuit board, as the
printed circuit board is plugged into or as removed from
the printed circuit board zero force connector.
The currently considered printed circuit board, the
attachment to be placed on it and the printed circuit
board zero force connector are shown in Figure 1. The
printed circuit board 1, has surface contacts 11
provided thereupon. An attachment 3 which can be placed
on the printed circuit board 1 is shown adjacent
thereto. Also shown is a printed circuit board zero
force connector 2.
In the considered example, the attachment 3 is a
cap or sleeve-like member that is preferably produced
from plastic. The attachment 3 can be slipped onto the
printed circuit board 1 in the region of the surface
contacts 11. The printed circuit board 1 with the cap 3
slipped on is shown in Figures 2 to 6. The attachment 3
has recesses 31 at the positions which come to rest
above the surface contacts 11 of the printed circuit
board 1 once the attachment 3 has been slipped onto the
printed circuit board. The contact elements 21 (Figure)
of the printed circuit board connector 2 come into
contact with the surface contacts 11 of the printed
circuit board 1 through these recesses 31. The
attachment 3 is attached to the printed circuit board 1
by a pin, not shown in the figures, that engages hole 12
in the printed circuit board 1.
As can be seen in Figure 2, the printed circuit
board zero force connector 2 includes, in addition to
the above-mentioned contact elements 21, a housing 22
and a contact carrier 23 that carries the contact
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elements 21. The contact carrier 23 can be moved,
together with the contact elements 21 carried by it,
relative to the housing 22. In the considered example,
the movement of the contact carrier 23 occurs by
plugging a printed circuit board 1 into the printed
circuit board zero force connector 2 and by removing the
printed circuit board 1 from the printed circuit board
zero force connector 2. This is described in more detail
hereinafter with reference to Figures 2 to 6.
Figure 2 also shows the state in which the
insertion of a printed circuit board 1 provided with the
attachment 3 into the printed circuit board zero force
connector 2 has just begun. As shown in Figure 2, the
printed circuit board 1 does not yet contact the contact
carrier 23.
Upon further insertion of the printed circuit board
1 into the printed circuit board zero force connector 2,
a leading end of the attachment 3, with respect to the
direction of insertion, abuts a tab 231 that is provided
in an upper region of the contact carrier 23. The tab
231 extends from the contact carrier 23 into a receiving
region of the printed circuit board zero force connector
2. The receiving region is passed through by the printed
circuit board 1 when the printed circuit board is
inserted into the printed circuit board zero force
connector. As attachment 3 and tab 231 act upon one
another, the tab 231 is deflected to one side during
insertion and is held in this position. The contact
carrier 23 is pivoted to the side'by the force exerted
upon the tab 231, thereby enabeling the printed circuit
board to be inserted further into the printed circuit
board zero force connector without or, in any case,
without significant expenditure of force to overcome
insertion forces exerted by the contacts 21. The printed
circuit board zero force connector is thus set into an
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assembly position that allows the insertion, or removal,
of an printed circuit board. This state is shown in
Figure 3.
As insertion of the printed circuit board 1
continues, a lateral projection 32 upon attachment 3
impinges on an arm 232 provided in a lower region of the
contact carrier 23 that, similarly to the tab 231 of the
contact carrier 23, extends into the receiving region of
the printed circuit board zero force connector. The
printed circuit board 1 also passes through this portion
(where arm 232 is located) of the receiving region as
the printed circuit board is plugged into the printed
circuit board zero force connector 2. This is shown in
Figure 4.
As insertion of the printed circuit board 1 into
the printed circuit board zero force connector 2
continues, the attachment 3 by way of lateral projection
32 presses arm 232 downwards. This results in the
contact carrier 23 pivoting causing the upper part of
the contact carrier 23 to pivot toward the printed
circuit board 1. Figure 5 shows the state in which this
occurred. As the contact carrier 23 pivots, tab 231 of
the contact carrier 23, which until now has been out of
the way by the attachment 3, passes into an associated
recess 33 in the attachment 3. This is shown in Figure
6.
The speed and the course of the pivoting movement
of the contact element carrying part 23 can be adjusted
owing to the shape of the attachment 3 (lateral
projection 32) and owing to the shape of the arm 232 of
the contact carrier 23. In the considered example, the
lateral projection 32 of the attachment 3 and the arm
232 of the contact carrier 23 are configured in such a
way that insertion of the printed circuit board 1 into
the printed circuit board zero force connector 2 at
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constant speed initially brings about relatively rapid
deflection of the contact carrier 23 and then,
comparatively slow, and increasingly slow, pivoting of
the contact carrier 23. The force that is expended in
order to plug the printed circuit board 1 into the
printed circuit board zero force connector 2 can
therefore be kept constant with a uniform plug-in speed.
The increased resistance which has to be overcome during
pivoting in this stage is compensated by the
comparatively slow pivoting of the contact carrier 23
toward the end of the pivoting process. The increased
resistance is caused by the contact elements 21 of the
printed circuit board zero force connector 2 that are
carried by the contact carrier 23 engaging the printed
circuit board 1 and the associated spring forces
complicate further pivoting of the contact carrier 23.
In the state shown in Figures 5 and 6 the printed
circuit board 1 is in the fully inserted position, and
the printed circuit board zero force connector 2 is in
its connection position correctly contacting the printed
circuit board 1 inserted therein. The contact elements
21 held by the contact carrier 23 are correctly
contacting the associated surface contacts 11 of the
printed circuit board by extending through the recesses
31 of the attachment 3. In this state, the printed
circuit board 1 is seated within the printed circuit
board zero force connector 2; the tab 231 of the contact
carrier 23 position in the recess 33 in attachment 3
which advantageously prevents the printed circuit board
1 from being released from the printed circuit board
zero force connector 2. The retention can be overcome by
pulling upon the printed circuit board 1 opposite the
direction of insertion (i.e. removal).
The above-mentioned processes are reversed when the
printed circuit board 1 is being removed from the
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printed circuit board zero force connector 2. It should
be mentioned, that the processes now taking place in
removing the printed circuit board 1 are now assisted by
the contact elements 21 of the printed circuit board
zero force connector 2. The spring forces of the contact
elements 21, assist the pivoting of the contact carrier
23 from the printed circuit board 1 when the force
pressing the arm 232 downward and holding it down wanes
and finally disappears upon removal of the printed
circuit board 1 from the printed circuit board zero
force connector 2.
It should be obvious that the described printed
circuit board and the described printed circuit board
zero force connector can be varied in many ways with
substantially the same functioning and mode of
operation. In particular, there is no restriction on how
the attachment 3 is formed. Either a cap, which can be
slipped onto the printed circuit board, or for example,
one or more plate-like elements or other discreate
components which are placed onto the printed circuit
board can also be used instead of a cap. It would also
be conceivable to form the attachment not by a separate
part but, for example, by injection moulding a
corresponding configuration onto the printed circuit
boardor forming the printed circuit board in a
particular manner. Furthermore, there is no restriction
to the described type of connection between the printed
circuit board 1 and the attachment 3. The printed
circuit board 1 and the attachment 3 can basically be
connected detachably or non-detachably to one another in
any way, for example by clamping, pressing into one
another, adhesion, etc.
Furthermore, there is no restriction that the
printed circuit board 1 has surface contacts 11 only on
one side. The printed circuit board 1 can be provided
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with surface contacts 11 on both sides and the printed
circuit board connector 2 can be designed to make
contact with printed circuit boards 1 of this type. A
printed circuit board connector of this type can be
produced, for example, by providing, opposite the
(first) contact carrier 23, a second contact carrier
which moves symmetrically to the first contact carrier
when a printed circuit board is plugged in and removed;
a contact carrier part of this type is shown in Figure
7.
Owing to the above-described features of the
printed circuit board and of the printed circuit board
zero force connector it is possible, regardless of the
details of practical production, to produce printed
circuit board zero force connectors particularly
compactly and easily and to operate them reliably.
